Forgiveness
by BleachBox Romance
Summary: If I could have just one wish, I would wish to wake up everyday to the touch of your fingers on my skin, and the feel of your heart beating with mine. FINISHED! Chapter 10: Seasons of Love. IchixRuki
1. Broken

**The first chapter to this fic is from my one-shot story "Broken." I wanted to yurn this into a longer story, so I took "Broken" and am going to use it as the baes of this story. The song used for this chapter is "Broken" by Seether, off of their album _Disclaimer_. I do not own Bleach, and this is not a scene from the Anime or Manga. 'Nough said.**

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Pain.

That's exactly what he was in. Pain. By the time he realized that no one would find him, he had nearly gone numb. All he could do was feel his blood trickling down his body, out of the numerous gashes in his chest, stomach, and back. All he could do was feel his life slipping away, death trying to overcome him. All he could do was feel the burning in his chest every time he took a breath. All he could do was feel remorseful.

_**I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh.  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away.  
I keep your photograph, I know it serves me well.  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain.**_

He still hadn't told her. Why hadn't he? He wanted so badly to tell her. He could have told her after he rescued her from Soul Society. He could have told her after school. He could have told her on one of the many lazy Saturdays while he watched her draw her horribly sucky drawings.

Right now, he would have given anything to be able to be back in his home. He wanted to be in his room, to be able to kick his crazy dad in the face, to be able to throw Kon against the wall, to be able to lay in his bed and stare at the bland, white ceiling. More than anything, he wanted to be able to hold Rukia and tell her that he loved her. **_  
_**

How could this have gone differently? He had decided not to wake her when the order from Soul Society came. She had looked so peaceful, so he would let her sleep. He had gone out to fight the hollow. The hollow was Grand Fisher. It had led him deep into the woods, far deeper than he had ever gone. It had mocked Ichigo, telling him that he would go after Rukia when he was finished with him. He was determined to kill it, to send it to hell for hurting his sisters, for killing his mom, for threatening Rukia.

Then it changed so fast, so quickly. It had caught him off guard and drove a sharp tentacle into his body. As soon as he stood up, another attack, then another, than another. It went on like this for about fifteen minutes before he couldn't move. Yeah, it hurt like hell.

_**'Cause I'm broken when I'm open.  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough.  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome.  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.**_

"Ichigo?" His head weakly turned towards where the voice was coming from. It sounded like Rukia's. "Ichigo Kurosaki, you had better answer, or God help me I'll kick you into next week!" Yep, that was Rukia all right.

He could hear someone walking towards him, but he was too weak to call out.

"I-Ichigo?" Rukia took one look at his bloody body and ran towards him. She kneeled down next to him, on the verge of crying. "What happened to you? Why didn't you tell me that there was a hollow?"

"Didn't…wanna wake ya." He tried to smile, but ended up coughing up blood instead.

"You idiot." Rukia wiped her eyes.

"Y-you're crying." Ichigo weakly lifted his hand and cupped Rukia's face. "You s-shouldn't cry…over me." He used his thumb to wipe off a tear that was running down the side of her face.

"Why did you try fighting Grand Fisher by yourself?"

"'Cause…he th-threatened to go after you when he was…through with me. I had to protect ya." Ichigo could feel blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

"Look at you, Ichigo. He messed you up." Rukia wiped the blood off of his face with her sleeve. "You should've woken me up."

"Couldn't. Ya looked to…peaceful." Ichigo cracked a slight grin. '_Go on. Tell her.' _"Rukia, I-" Ichigo cut himself off when he broke into a coughing fit. "I've…gotta t-tell ya something."

"What is it?" Rukia wiped the blood spats off of his face.

"I-I love you."

Rukia broke down and buried her face in Ichigo's chest, sobbing. "Ichigo, I-I love you too." Ichigo wrapped his arms around Rukia's waist and smiled. He had told her, and it gave him the greatest feeling in the world. He stroked he hair, "Shhh, it'll be alright."

_**The worst is over now and we can breathe again.  
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away.  
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight.  
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain.**_

Rukia look up at Ichigo and wiped her eyes. "I love you, Ichigo."

"I love you too, Ru-" Ichigo was cut off when Rukia placed her lips onto his. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Rukia finally broke off the kiss and laid her head back onto Ichigo's chest. That was all that mattered to the both of them. They knew that they loved each other.

_**'Cause I'm broken when I'm open.  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough.  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome.  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.**_

_**'Cause I'm broken when I'm open.  
And I don't feel like I am strong enough.  
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome.  
And I don't feel right when you're gone away.**_


	2. 2:10 AM

**So, here I am writing the second chapter to my first long term pairing fic. There's really nothing else to say. Really. I've got nothing. Nothing at all. Nadda. Zip. Really, what do you people want from me? Fine be that way, just read the story. And enjoy! **

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White. That was the color of the room. Even though no lights were on, he could tell. How long had he been unconscious for? He weakly turned his head to face the clock on the nightstand next to the hospital bed. 2:10 AM. Ichigo pulled his hand up to his face and rubbed it, realizing that his arm had an IV tube sticking out of it.

He tiredly tried to remember how he had gotten into a hospital. He had gotten the order from Soul Society. Then he tracked down the hollow, Grand Fisher, followed it into the woods, fought it and lost. He had been dying, and then Rukia had found him.

_Rukia._

He wondered where she was now. She had used her cell phone to call the ambulance, and he had been taken to the hospital. What else had happened? Oh yeah. He had told Rukia that he loved her. He smiled, remembering how he had held her in his arms, and how she had told him that she loved him as well. Ichigo touched his lips, remembering how she had kissed him.

Ichigo heard the door open, and he closed his eyes. He heard small, slow footsteps approaching his bed. Whoever was there sat down on the chair next to his bed.

He cracked his eyes open slightly to see who it was. It was Rukia.

"Hey, Rukia." Ichigo weakly spoke, his voice raspy.

"Are you feeling alright?" Rukia held Ichigo's hand.

"Yeah. Jus' a little sleepy." Ichigo groggily replied. He enjoyed the feel of Rukia's small hand in his.

"The doctors drugged you so you wouldn't feel any pain. You had four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a dislocated shoulder." Rukia tightened her grip on his hand. Her eyes began to water as she remembered how helpless he has looked when she had found him. He was bleeding profusely, and she had thought that he would die.

"Please don't cry, Rukia." Ichigo looked up at Rukia, eyes fully open. "I'm not worth crying over."

"That's not true Ichigo. You almost died fighting that hollow. Of course I'm going to cry." Rukia used her free hand to wipe her eyes.

Ichigo shakily reached his free hand up and wiped a stray tear falling down Rukia's face. He hated it when she cried, especially when it was over him. "You're too pretty to cry." Ichigo smiled weakly.

"Ichigo, you moron." Rukia carefully crawled onto the hospital bed and gently laid her head on Ichigo's heavily bandaged chest. She could feel the tears flowing freely down her face, and her bottom lip was beginning to tremble. How could he be so calm when he had almost died?

Ichigo wrapped one arm around her waist and let the other lay at his side. He let out a deep sigh, completely a peace with himself. He felt so comfortable, so complete. He snapped out of his thoughts when Rukia began sobbing. Ichigo stroked her hair, trying to calm her. "It's okay, Rukia. I'm here."

"I-I know, I-it's just that…you were almost killed by that hollow, and I couldn't stand loosing you, not like that." Rukia replied, her voice muffled.

"Rukia, you can't start crying every time I get hurt." Ichigo used his index finger to pull her chin up so she was looking into his eyes. "I love you, and I would never leave you like that. _Ever._ Okay?"

Rukia wordlessly nodded her head and leaned forward, her lips making contact with Ichigo's. Ichigo could feel that same tingling sensation that he had felt only hours before in the woods. It felt like he was floating in midair, on top of a cloud, almost.

"So how long do they plan on keeping me here?" Ichigo asked as he slightly leaned his head backwards so that they were no longer kissing.

"About a month."

"What?!" Ichigo tried to sit up, but the stinging of his fresh wounds and the fact that he had been completely drained of his energy weighed him down. He groaned in frustration. A month wound probably seem like a year being cooped up in this hospital. "A whole month?"

"Yes, a whole month. You can't even sit up as it is, let alone stand and walk. It will probably take a month for those wounds to heal, and they might want to keep you in for physical therapy."

"I don't need physical therapy! I could walk just fine after being nearly killed in Soul Society." Ichigo defiantly explained.

"That's because you were in the Soul Society. Your wounds will heal much faster in there than they will in the real world."

"I don't want to stay in this smelly old hospital for a month." Ichigo replied. "Do you know how boring that's gonna be?"

"Oh, stop being such a baby!" Rukia scolded.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Fine, be that way." Ichigo stubbornly looked out the window, mostly to avoid making eye contact with Rukia.

"I will." Rukia smugly replied. She snuggled closer to Ichigo.

Ichigo sighed deeply. How she could keep him from objecting to this more than twice was beyond him. "So, exactly what's keeping me from just busting out of here right now and going home?"

"You can't walk. You can't even _sit up_." Rukia sat up, straddling Ichigo's waist.

"Yes, I think I can." Ichigo tried to sit up, but he couldn't even prop himself up on his elbows. He gave up and laid back down on his pillow. "Don't say a word." He warned.

"Fine." Rukia gently places a kiss on Ichigo's forehead before laying her head on his shoulder. "Just try and get some sleep."

"M'kay." Ichigo mumbled before sleep overcame him.


	3. Christmas Eve

**Okay, so here's the 411. This'll probably be the last you guys here from me until 2007, so I'll just tell all of you devoted Bleach fans (and every other person that maybe reading this): Merry Christmas! And this new chapter is going to be on: Christmas Eve! (Go figure.)**

**The characters in this story are going to have new ages.**

**Ichigo:19**

**Rukia:18**

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The cold, dry air stung Ichigo's eyes as he slowly climbed out of the car. His body ached, and he wished he was back in the soft seat of the warm and cozy car. He shut the open door and slowly limbered towards the door to his house. He could feel the soft snow drift down from the sky and fall on his head. His whole body felt ten times heavier than it should have felt. He just _had_ to stay in that stuffy old hospital for a month, mostly in part because Rukia made him stay. Okay, he had stayed on his own, but only because she had talked him into it. More threatened him into it.

"Rukia! You coming?" Ichigo looked back to the car, where Rukia was messing with the keys.

"Yeah, just a sec!"

Ichigo turned the handle of the front door and opened it. The familiar smell of his home immediately filled his nostrils. The quiet of the empty house was extremely calming. Ichigo sighed. It felt good not having to worry about his dad kicking him in the face the moment he walked through the door. He hadn't had to worry about that since his dad and his sisters had moved out, about six months ago, to a house across town.

He walked farther into the house, the cold quickly leaving his body. "I almost forgot what this place looked like."

"What?" Rukia asked quietly, appearing at Ichigo's side.

"You had me stuck in that hospital for so long, I almost forgot what my house looked like." Ichigo looked sourly at Rukia.

"Oh, stop whining. It was for your own good, anyways."

"Well, I guess so…" A thought quickly came into Ichigo's mind. "Hey, Rukia, what's today's date?"

"December 24th."

"We still need to put up a Christmas tree!" Ichigo franticly grabbed a phone book and began looking for the "Christmas Tree" section (As if there is one). "How could I have forgotten to tell someone about a tree?"

Rukia put a hand on Ichigo's arm. "I already got a tree, Ichigo."

"When?"

"Remember when Renji and Byakuya came from Soul Society the first week you were in the hospital?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo nodded his head. "I was crippled and that tattooed ass hole was still giving me a hard time."

"That was probably because you made fun of his eyebrows. Again. But that's besides the point. I got Renji and Byakuya to get a tree and decorate it." Rukia grabbed Ichigo's hand and pulled him towards the living room. "Come and look at it."

Ichigo walked into the living room and looked at the tree. The tree looked just like it had when his mother had decorated it, all of the years before she had died. The same ornaments, the same garland, the same red bows. "Rukia, how did you-"

"I used the picture that you keep in your room. The one of your family in front of the Christmas tree. Renji did most of the decorating. You'd be surprised what he can do with a picture and few boxes of decorations." Rukia sheepishly grinned. "You told me that you guys always decorated it differently after your mom died. I just thought you might like it."

Ichigo wrapped an arm around Rukia's waist and kissed the top of her head. "It's perfect, Rukia. I love it." Ichigo grinned.

"Oh, yeah. Renji left a note for you. He told me not to read it." Rukia pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it to Ichigo.

Ichigo began to read the letter out loud. "Dear Ichigo," He could already tell where this was going. "You'd better start training again. I'm serious, 'cause when I see you, I'm going to kick your ass bad. Sorry I can't beat the crap out of you this Christmas, I'll try to make it next year. P.S., Sorry about trying to remove your IV tube. I forgot for a second that you needed that. Your Buddy, Renji A." Ichigo looked at Rukia. "He tried to remove my IV tube?"

"Uh, yeah, he did. About an hour after you made fun of his eyebrows." Rukia scratched the back of her head.

"I'll contend with him next time we visit Soul Society." Ichigo muttered. "So…wanna watch some TV?"

"Sure." Rukia sat down on the couch as Ichigo turned the TV on. He had to switch through most of the channels, seeing as how most of the shows on were just infomercials. Ichigo finally settled on _RENT_, finding it a few minuets after it had come on. He laid on the couch and shifted around until he found a comfortable position.

"Hey, uh, Rukia?" Ichigo hesitantly broke the silence. "I just wanted to tell you thanks for decorating the tree like that. It really means a lot to me. I just never decorated the tree like that after my mom died."

"Why not?"

"Well, I just didn't want to get my sisters and my dad upset. The best part about Christmas was always helping my mom decorate the tree. I just thought that it would remind my family of my mom too much." Ichigo gave a pained look at the TV, tears beginning to fill his brown eyes as he remembered the day that his mother died.

A wave of sadness fell over Rukia as she watched Ichigo relive that painful day. "It hurt a lot, Ichigo, didn't it?"

At first Ichigo did not respond, continuing to stare at the bright television screen. "Yeah," he choked out, his voice wavering. "It really did." He let out a shuddering sigh. "Out of all of the people in the world, it was my mother that was attacked. I really don't know what hurt the most, Rukia. Losing her, or having to live without her. Yuzu and Karin were so young, they couldn't understand that their mother had died. They thought she was still here."

"You must really miss her."

"More than anything. I just can't understand why that hollow went after her and not me. If it was trying to find my spirit energy, I can't understand why it didn't attack me."

Rukia looked into Ichigo's tear filled eyes and saw something she had never seen before in them. True sadness. It was almost as if she was looking into someone else's eyes.

Ichigo allowed Rukia to wipe his wet eyes. "I want to cry, Rukia, I really do. I just don't think I can anymore." Ichigo covered his face with both of his hands and let out a shaky breath. "I just can't."

Rukia had never seen Ichigo like this. He was so grief stricken, so _defeated_. Rukia could only imagine what it would be like to lose someone like a mother. Someone who loved you with every fiber of their being, someone was with you from day one, someone who you couldn't bear to lose. The only thing close to family that she had growing up was Renji, and now Ichigo.

Rukia gently pulled Ichigo's hands off of his face and held them in her own. "Ichigo, I know you miss your mother very much, but would she really want you to be this sad on Christmas Eve?"

Ichigo swallowed the lump in his throat and weakly shook his head. "No."

"Then don't blame yourself for her death. You weren't the one who killed her, Grand Fisher did. I know for a fact that your mother would not want you blaming yourself for her death."

Ichigo gave Rukia a weak smile. "Yeah, you're right." Ichigo wrapped his arms around Rukia and pulled her close. "Thanks, Rukia."

"For what?"

"For being there when I needed you." Ichigo kissed the top of Rukia's head.

Rukia leaned her head up and kissed Ichigo on the lips. She could feel a smile forming on Ichigo's face against her lips. She broke the kiss and snuggled into his chest, listening to the soft, constant sound of his strong heartbeat. She settled into the rhythmic rise and fall of his firm chest with every intake of breath.

"It feels so good to be home." Ichigo murmured, more to himself than anyone else. He felt Rukia's soft, warm breath drift onto the side of his neck. He could feel the muscles in his body relax, settling into the steady pattern of breathing he had picked up. "Those damn doctors would only let you see me during visiting hours after the first night. I like it here with you much better."

"Me too." Rukia murmured against Ichigo's neck. She breathed in his rich scent, listening to the quiet music coming from the television set. "I'm so glad you're okay, Ichigo. You don't know how terrified I was."

"Are you kidding? You're the one that went to Soul Society to be executed. Imagine how many years that took off of my life." Ichigo smirked. He could remember how determined he was to rescue her, almost like he was possessed, some unseen force diving him forward. "Merry Christmas, Rukia." Ichigo murmured into her soft hair.

"Merry Christmas, Ichigo." Rukia nuzzled Ichigo's neck and turned her eyes to the television screen as they continued to spend Christmas Eve in each other's arms.


	4. Unexpected News

**Y'all are in for a BIG surprise this chapter. What is it, you ask? You'll just have to read. This chapter is going to be my Christmas present for those who enjoy the story. Thanks for all of the cool reviews, by the way. Reviews are to me as coffee is to adults. Reviews are my "Go Juice." You get the picture, I'm sure. Oh, and by the way, I'm doing a poll. If you watch the English version of _Bleach,_** **do you approve or disapprove of Renji's English VA? And I'm knda making a big jump in the time period. In this chapter, it's going to be August.**

**My best wishes to all for 2007!**

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Ichigo promptly woke as the sound of vomitingresounded throughout his room. He groggily rubbed his eyes and yawned. He felt an empty space next to him in the bed. "Rukia?" Ichigo swung out of his bed and started towards the bathroom. The door was closed, but a line of yellow light seeped out through the opening under the door.

Ichigo opened the door to the bathroom and squinted as he stepped into the light. "Rukia, are you al-" he stopped when he saw Rukia kneeling on the ground, her head over the toilet. Her hair was disheveled and her pajamas were full of wrinkles. She gripped the rim of the toilet as another wave of nausea came over her.

Ichgio quickly rushed to Rukia's side. "Rukia, what's wrong?"

"I-I don't know. S-Something's w-wrong." Rukia's voice was weak.

Ichigo placed his hand over her forehead. She didn't have a fever. "I'm going to take you to Urahara's. He might know what's wrong. Just hang in until then." He helped Rukia up and guided her to the bed, where she gently laid down. Ichigo walked over to his closet and put on a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He then pulled out his cell phone and dialed a 10 digit number.

"Hello." Renji's voice came from the phone.

"Renji, this is Ichigo. Do know if Urahara is there?"

"How would I know?" Renji replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Dude, I went back to Soul Society a week ago. What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Rukia's been throwing up, and I don't know if she's sick or not. Call Urahara and tell him that we'll be there in a few minutes." Ichigo ordered.

"Okay. Take care of Rukia, alright?"

"Got it." Ichigo hung up the phone. He walked over to his bed, where Rukia was laying. "Rukia, I'm going to take you to Urahara's now. Can you still walk?"

"Yeah, I-I think." Rukia slowly rose from the bed, and with Ichigo's help, made it to the car. After he had out her in the car, Ichigo ran back into the house and grabbed a blanket and a bottle of water. He ran back to the car, draped the blanket over Rukia, hopped into the car and drove to Urahara's shop.

Ichigo parked the car in front of the store and jumped out. He ran to the passenger side of the car and gently helped Rukia out of the car. Urahara opened the door to his shop before they got to the front steps. "Bring her inside." Urahara comanded.

After settling Rukia on a futon in the back, Urahara took her temperature. "Well, she doesn't seem to have a fever. Her eyes aren't blood shot, either. Could it have been something she ate?"

"Well, for dinner she had some chicken and rice with a glass of water." Ichigo replied.

"Nothing else?" Urahara questioned.

"No."

"What was in the food?" Urahara continued.

"Nothing. It was just plain chicken and rice. She's not allergic to any of that." Ichigo confirmed.

"Well, I'll just take some blood tests. Maybe then we can see what's wrong." Urahara grabbed a syringe and took a quick blood sample from Rukia's arm. "I'll be back in about an hour with the results."

Ichigo sat down next to Rukia on the futon. "Hey, how're you feeling?"

"Sick." Rukia mumbled and turned to Ichigo, snuggling into his shirt. Ichigo wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Rukia wiped her forehead with Ichigo's t-shirt. Her face was sweaty.

"Just try and get some sleep, 'kay?" Ichigo rubbed her arm. He felt her nod into his chest, and after a few moments, she fell asleep. Ichigo protectively tightened his grip around Rukia. He hoped that whatever this was that was making her throw up would go away by tomorrow.

Just before Ichigo fell asleep, Urahara walked into the room. "Kurosaki, could I see you outside for a moment?" His tone was dangerously serious. Ichigo gently laid Rukia back down on the futon and followed Urahara into the main room.

"Have you figured out why she's been throwing up?" Ichigo anxiously asked.

"Yes, I have. She was throwing up because she has morning sickness." Urahara stated.

Ichigo was confused. "What's that?" Ichigo had never heard of morning sickness before. She was throwing up at 2:00 AM, not in the morning.

"Mr. Kurosaki, morning sickness is a symptom of pregnancy. In other words, Rukia is pregnant. And from the looks of the blood tests, you're the father." Urahara began to smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Kurosaki. You're going to be a daddy."

Ichigo could feel his heart stop and his blood freeze. "WHAT?! How can I be a dad? How can I raise a kid? I'm practically is still a kid!"

"Oh, on the contrary, Mr. Kurosaki. You're 19 years old, and you'll turn 20 in June, correct?"

"That's besides the point! I'm not even old enough to drink yet! And I'm the father of a baby!" Ichigo could not believe this at all. He was about to say something else when Urahara interrupted him, his tone turning serious again.

"Ichigo, perhaps you should tell Rukia."

"Yeah." Ichigo uneasily walked back into the back room. Rukia was awake, sitting up, and could read the worry on Ichigo's face. "Ichigo, wh-what's wrong?" She asked weakly, attempting to sit up even more.

Ichigo walked over to the futon and sat down next to Rukia, trying to figure out how he was going to explain this to her. "Well, uh, you, uh, you're, um." Ichigo swallowed his fear. "Rukia, you're pregnant, and I'm the father." He was waiting for some negative response, for her to hit him across the head. Instead, he felt her snuggle into his chest and begin crying.

"R-Rukia, what's wrong?" Ichigo mentally kicked himself. Great, Kurosaki. Real smart question.

"I-It's just that, I'm so happy." Ichigo couldn't believe what he had just heard. He had gotten her pregnant and she was happy. She was happy. Now that he gave it some thought, he was happy too. He and Rukia were going to have a baby.

Ichigo gave a quick sigh of relief. "So am I, Rukia. So am I." They both sat in scilence for a few moments before Ichigo spoke. "So, we're gonna be parents." That comment was real obvious, and Ichigo gave himself another mental kick.

"My brother's probably gonna kill you for this, you know." Rukia smiled. Ichigo shuddered at the thought of what Rukia's older brother would do to him. Probably rip out his beating heart. Probably. "I am so dead." Ichigo whined. Rukia laughed and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Chances are." She laughed lightly before laying her head onto Ichigo's shoulder.

"You're gonna want to get some sleep, 'cause we're gonna have a whole bunch to look forward to." Ichigo sighed, completely exhausted.

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The next day, Ichigo took Rukia back home. He had cooked her breakfast, eggs and sausage, and had gone to the book store. He had been is search of a book called _What To Expect When You're Expecting_, a book Urahara had recommended that he get it for Rukia. The search for the book was completely normal until he got to the **Family & Parenting** section. There, standing in plain daylight, was Renji.

"Renji! What're doing here?!" Ichigo practically screamed in the man's face.

"Oh, hi Ichigo!" Renji grinned. "I came here to get some books for Rukia. Urahara called me last night and told me that you got her pregnant." How on earth could he make that sound so _normal_?

"I did not _get_ her pregnant!" Ichigo yelled.

"Oh, then why is Rukia pregnant again?" Renji smirked at his friend. When you put it like that, it made perfect sense.

"I- You- Wh- Agh! Fine, maybe I did get Rukia pregnant. Why say it like it's a negetive thing?" Ichigo complained.

"You think I'm being negative, wait until Byakuya finds out. He is going to be _pissed_. And you're going to be dead." Renji was on the verge of breaking into a laughing fit. Byakuya was going to make Ichigo suffer BIG TIME.

"I'll deal with you latter." Ichigo growled while walking up to the cash register. "Stupid, tattooed, dork-wad…"

"Ah, hello, Kurosaki-san! How are you doing today?"

Ichigo's head shot up when he heard the familiar voice. "Hanataro?! What're you doing here? I thought you worked at that burger joint near my house."

"I only work there part time. Oh, is that book for Rukia?" Hanataro pointed out the pregnancy book that Ichigo was carrying.

Ichigo sighed deeply before replying. "Yes, Hanataro. It is. How do you know?"

"Well, Abarai-san told me that you got Kuchiki-san pregnant, so I just made an educated guess!"

Ichigo turned a deep shade of red. "Well, why don't we just tell the whole world!?" Ichigo looked back at Renji, who was grinning madly and waving like an idiot. "That's it! I'm going home!" And with that, Ichigo Kurosaki stormed out of the book store, forgetting to pay for Rukia's book.

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"That stupid, pig-headed, tattooed, arrogant dumb ass!" Ichigo howled as he stomped into the house. He ripped of his jacket and threw it onto the couch. "I cannot believe him. What right does he have telling the whole fricking world that Rukia's pregnant!?"

"What's going on? It sounds like there's a tornado in the house." Rukia walked down the stairs, still in her pajamas. She sleepily rubbed her eyes.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Ichigo immediately lowered his voice. "Do you know who I just saw at the book store?"

"Ichigo, I've been here the whole day. How would I know who you saw?"

"I saw Renji. He has probably told everybody from here to Soul Society that you're pregnant!" Ichigo began shouting, trying to come up with some way to make his antagonist suffer.

"Ichigo, Renji has not told everybody that I'm pregnant, he only told Hanataro." Rukia sat down on the couch and wrapped a blanket around herself.

"How do you know this?"

"Because I told Renji to tell Hanataro." Rukia turned on the television set, flipping through the many channels.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Ichigo, you should know more than anyone how Hanataro gets when he's left out of big news." Ichigo had to agree with that statement. When Hanataro wasn't told that the company Ichigo was in in Soul Society went on patrol, he went crazy. He had thought that Ichigo and the entire 13th Company had disappeared. One could only imagine what would happen if a baby appeared out of nowhere. "As for Renji, he's just excited. He can act like such a two-year old sometimes."

"Yeah. Tell me about it." Ichigo fell back onto the couch, completely wiped out. "Were you feeling better this morning?" He could remember vividly how she had upchucked all over his toilet the previous night. She had been puking like she had the motherload of all hangovers.

"Yeah. I took those pills that Urahara gave me. They really do work, even though they have a scull and crossbones on the bottle."

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better." Ichigo smiled and put an arm around Rukia's shoulders. He almost jumped when his phone began ringing (It has Green Day's _Pop rocks & Coke_ ringtone). Ichigo looked at the caller ID on his phone. "Oh, God. What does he want?" He growled when he saw who was calling. "Renji, what the hell do you want?"

"Hey, Hey, Kurosaki! Cool down, I don't mean any harm! I just called to give you a heads up. It seems that you're impending doom maybe be coming sooner than you thought. Renji's muffled voice floated out of the phone.

"What?" Ichigo immediately froze. "Oh, hell no! You don't mean-"

"Dude, that's exactly what I mean. I just got off the phone with Byakuya and he's gonna be popping in at my place for a little visit in three months, and he's _really_ looking forward to seeing you two."

"What did you tell him?"

"Well, uh, the truth." He could hear Ichigo's teeth grinding. "But I only did it so he had some time to cool down. You know how he is. He'll need some time to regain his composure, so I gave you three months."

"Well, I- Hold on a sec, man. I've got somebody on trying to call me."

"Aright. I'll catch you later, man." Renji hung up his phone as Ichigo switch to whoever was calling. "Hello?"

"KUROSAKI!" A booming voice irrupted from the phone. Ichigo winced, pulling the phone from his ear. _Oh, crap. _"KUSROSAKI, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF GETTING MY SISTER PREGNANT?!?!" Byakuya howled from the other line, his question followed by a torrent of obscenities.

"I didn't _get _her pregnant." Ichigo hoped that maybe Byakuya's fit of rage would make him stupid, or at least stupid enough not to counter with Renji's line.

"Then why exactly is she pregnant?" Byakuya snarled.

"Okay, okay, I did get her pregnant. But she's taking it well…" Ichigo looked hopefully at Rukia. She mouthed out_ 'hang up.'_

"TAKING IT WELL?! I'LL SHOW YOU TAKING IT WELL! WHEN I GET DOWN THERE, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR A-"

"Okay, he's very mad." Ichigo abruptly hung up his phone before Byakuya could finish his threat against his well being. He blinked and shook his head. "I think my ear drum popped." He shook it off and turned back to Rukia. "Well, your brother says hi." The grin on his face quickly disappeared. "Oh, man, I am so dead!"

"Ichigo, he's not coming for three months."

Ichigo rested his back against the couch and took a deep breath. "What did Hat-and-Clogs say about you going to the doctor's?"

"Not much. He said that I'm going to be having morning sickness for a while. He said I'll start getting cravings for weird foods, too. I'll need to go to the doctor's in about four months to get an ultrasound. Urahara said that by then the doctors should be able to tell the gender of the baby." Rukia responded, leaning on Ichigo's side.

"So, weird cravings, more puking, doctor's appointment in four months. We'll be pretty busy, I guess." Ichigo sighed.

"Oh yeah."


	5. The Visit

**I can't believe that I spelled Hanatarou's name wrong the whole last chapter! I can be such a moron sometimes. Anyways, I hope y'all had an amazing Christmas, 'cause I know I did. I got TONS of Bleach stuff, and I got Yellowcard's debut album, _One For The Kids_, and Green Day's _International Superhits. _On cartoon network at 11:00 PM (EST) on New Year's eve, there will be and all night _Bleach_ marathon. **

**Have an amazing New Year's eve! Best wishes to all for '07!**

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Ichigo walked towards the door to his house, responding to the ringing doorbell. He opened the door, only to be greeted by a grinning Renji and a calm-as-ever Byakuya. He sighed and stepped out of the doorway so that they could enter. Ichigo had been preparing all week for the brutal beating that he would surely receive when Byakuya walked through the door.

The fact that Renji was there didn't help things either. He had been convinced from day one that even though Byakuya had had three months to cool down, he was still going to slice Ichigo into little pieces of daddy-to-be salami. When Byakuya just calmly sat down on the couch in the living room without a word, Renji's grin widened, and Ichigo knew why. Two weeks before, the lieutenant shinigami had so dumbly told him that "There is always calm before the storm."

Ichigo sat down on a chair on the opposite side of the room before speaking. "Um, Byakuya, about getting you sister pregnant,"

"Kurosaki, don't-"

"I know we never used protection, which was probably a dumb thing to do…"

"Kurosaki,"

"And I know how you must feel…"

"Kurosaki, I-"

"with your sister getting pregnant and all…"

"KUROSAKI!" Byakuya yelled, silencing Ichigo. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I harbor no hard feelings about this situation between you and my sister. Know that before you continue."

"I know, I know, but- wait, you don't?" Ichigo was clearly confused. It was supposed to be right about now that Byakuya pulled out his sword and pinned the poor boy's head to the wall.

"No, I do not. You are Rukia are both grown adults, and have been for some time now. You both made a decision, and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. I trust that you can take care of my sister and the child, and as long as you do, there will be no conflict between us. And I also apologize for my outburst on the phone three months ago. It was very unprofessional of me, not as one of my caliber should behave."

Ichigo was dumbstruck. Completely bewildered. If he woke up with his face sewn to the carpet, he probably would not have been any more surprised. Renji broke the silence, a goofish grin plastered on his face. "So, if Rukia is pregnant, then that makes Kuchiki-taichou a,"

"Don't even go there, Abarai." The captain shot a death glare at Renji.

"an uncle!" Renji burst out laughing, gripping his sides as a steady stream of laughter poured out of him. "Kuchiki-taichou's gonna be an uncle!" It took all that Ichigo had not to go into a laughing fit much similar to Renji's.

"Abarai, if you value your life, then you will stop acting like such a child and start acting as an officer would."

"Aww, c'mon, Kuchiki-taichou! I don' mean no harm, just poking' a little fun at ya, that's all." Renji nudged his superior with his elbow.

"Don't touch me." Byakuya turned to Ichigo. "So, Kurosaki, where is my sister?"

"She went over to Ishida and Orihime's place. She was supposed to have gotten back an hour ago, but you know how girls are. With them, it's a-"

"A constant gab-fest." Renji interrupted. Ichigo sighed. That wasn't _exactly _how he would put it, even though that was a pretty good way of explaining it.

"Uncle Byakuya Kuchiki. Oh, that's cute." Renji snickered.

"You just can't let it go, can you, Abarai?" Byakuya sighed.

"No, sir. I'm callin' this pay back for all th' times you hassled me 'bout doin' my paperwork."

"The only reason I bother you, Abarai, is because you never do your paperwork. The only real paperwork that you've ever done was your application to the academy. I'm supprised they even let you in, considering how your handwriting looks like two-year-old scribble." Byakuya smirked.

"Does not!"

"Consider this my version of 'poking fun', lieutenant."

"So, Renji, what's going on is Soul Society? Any news of Aizen?" Ichigo quickly changed the subject, trying to prevent a confrontation between the two officers.

"Yeah, unfortunately. The 2nd, 3rd , and 4th companies went out on patrol in Heuco Mundo about three weeks ago. They were ambushed three days later, by about four thousand arrancar. By the time they came back to Soul Society, the 2nd had lost about half of it's men, the 4th 75 percent, and the 3rd lost almost all of it's troops."

"Perhaps it's time to tell him, Lieutenant Abarai." Byakuya interrupted.

Renji nodded. "After they got back, Room 46 sent out an order two days ago. It said that all companies 5 through 13 need to report to the South Gate at 0600 hours on Saturday for dispatch into Heuco Mundo. And all officers of these companies are to report to the South Gate at 2100 hours on Friday for a briefing, that means us."

"Does that mean-"

"Yes, Lieutenant Kurosaki. We're heading back to Heuco Mundo." Byakuya stared at Ichigo. "This will not be like our normal endevors into Heuco Mundo. Everything that's happened in the past with Aizen and Heuco Mundo, have all been mere skirmishes. The real war has started, and we need every possible soldier available, especially officers. As lieutenant of the 13th company, you have the responsibility of leading you troops, no exceptions."

"They wouldn't send Rukia out there, would they?" Ichigo asked.

"No. To do that would be to go against all of the Soul Society's morals and ethics. We would never send a pregnant shinigami into the battle zone."

"So how is all of this going to work?"

"Well, this is what we have learned so far." Renji laid a map of Heuco Mundo on the table between them. "This area right here is where the arrancar have failed to fortify. Companies 5, 6, 7, and 13 are going to attack this area first, which makes us the first wave. Companies 9, 10, 11, and 12 are going to be the second wave. They'll attack once we hit some opposition, so we'll just need to hold tight for a few minutes before they get up to the front."

"The 8th company will be our reinforcement dispatch. All of our company's surgeons and doctors will be back at our base five miles from the attack zone. We're going to be sending all of our company's field medics to the front with us, because chances are," Renji's expression grew grim. "We're going to need all of them."

"Kurosaki, please understand the gravity of this situation. If we fail this mission, the entire world as we know it will be in grave danger." Byakuya's expression turned deathly serious. "If we loose, and are defeated by Aizen and his army, most of us will never see our loved ones again."

"It's do or die time, Ichigo. We can't loose this one, not like we did back in Soul Society." Renji concluded.

"Kurosaki," Byakuya turned again to Ichigo. "Please tell Rukia that we wouldn't drag the father of her child into a life or death situation unless it was completely necessary." He stood and motioned for Renji to stand as well. "We will take our leave now, Kurosaki. Renji and I must prepare our company for the coming fight." Byakuya paused on his way out the door and faced Ichigo. "Please, Kurosaki, do your best to stay alive. My sister cares for you very much. Please don't leave her."

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**So, whad ya'll think? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? It really doesn't matter with me, just as long as you review. Hope you all enjoyed the little twist I put in there. Should make this story a bit more interestin'. I started jotting down notes for this at two in the morning, and this is what I came up with. This story absolutely dominates my life, but I love every minute of it! XD **


	6. Arriving At Hueco Mundo

**So, I bet y'all are wonderin' what's gonna happen next, huh? You'll just have to read and find out, peeps, I can't spill the beans at the beginning of the chapter. **

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Ichigo paced restlessly across his living room as he awaited Rukia's return. As hard as he tried, he could not find a way to tell her that he was going back to Hueco Mundo. He was the father of a child that was going to be born in five months, and he was heading back into the battle zone. How was he going to explain this to her?

Ichigo looked up as the door to his house opened. Rukia walked through the door. "Ichigo, I'm back!" She stopped when she saw the expression on his face. "Ichigo, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

The orange haired shinigami drew a deep breath before he spoke. "Rukia, about three weeks ago, some companies that went on patrol in Hueco Mundo were ambushed. They lost most of their troops, and came back to Soul Society a few days later. Room 46 sent out an order that companies 5 through 13 are to report to the South Gate to be dispatched into Hueco Mundo."

Rukia's eyes shone with fear. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I've got to go back to Hueco Mundo. We're going to attack a few days after we get to our base." Ichigo thought that stabbing himself with Zangetsu would be better than telling Rukia this news.

"But they can't send you back! You've already gone to Hueco Mundo nine times in the past year! And our baby's coming in five months. They can't just-"

"Rukia, they need everybody, especially the officers. Loosing to Aizen would mean the end of the natural world. I _have_ to go back."

Rukia burried her face in her hands and began to sob. "B-but what h-happens if you get hurt? Or if you get…" She couldn't even finish her last sentence, her eyes filling with tears.

Ichigo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her protectively into his chest. He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt. "Rukia, we've got the best companies in Soul Society going with us. Room 46 wouldn't send us out there unprepared." He lifted her face so that she could see him. "I'm not going to die any time soon, Rukia, so please don't worry."

"B-but what about those other companies that went on patrol?"

"The same thing can't happen to us. We know the situation better than they did. We'll be just fine." Ichigo reassured Rukia.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips. "I'm really going to miss you." Rukia murmured after she broke the kiss. She laid her head on his chest and listened to the beating of his heart.

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Ichigo sighed. This was going to be much bigger than he had imagined. There had to be hundreds of shinigami at the South Gate, waiting to be sent into Hueco Mundo. The whole area was in an uproar, and Ichigo had to scream when he was talking to someone. After saying goodbye to Rukia Friday morning, he had left for the Soul Society, being greeted by Renji and Hanatarou when he reached his company's barracks. At the briefing, the battle plan was conveyed just as Renji had told it. They were going to attack Hueco Mundo's weakest position.

Through the roar of the crowd, Ichigo could hear someone calling his name. He turned and saw Renji approaching him. "Ichigo, are you guys ready to go?"

"Just about. Ukitate-taichou is still rounding some of our medics. What about you guys?" Ichigo asked, looking over at the 6th company.

"We're ready to roll."

"Kurosaki-fukutaichou!" Ichigo and Renji turned to see the captain of the 13th company approaching them. "Is the company ready to move out?"

"Yeah. Everybody's geared up and ready to go." Ichigo responded to his superior.

"Good. We're moving out in two minutes, so please conclude your conversation with Abarai-san."

"Well, Renji, I guess this is it. Try not to get yourself killed, 'kay." Ichigo smirked.

Renji flipped him a mock salute before replying. "You're the one who should be worryin' about getting himself killed, _boy._" He grinned and headed to the 6th company as everybody began to head for Hueco Mundo.

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Ichigo took a long drink of water as he sat down on the ground. He hadn't had anything to drink since he had left Soul Society, and the long and rigorous journey to Hueco Mundo had left him famished. He yawned and laid down in the grass, his body screaming for sleep. He stood up, trying to keep himself alert. He walked towards the 13th company's triage unit, when he was stopped by Renji.

"So, Ichigo, how are things over here going?"

"So far so good. We've got our triage set up. It kind of worries me, though, that we're gonna need a triage unit. That can't be a good sign." Ichgio scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Kuchiki-taichou told our company that some of them wouldn't be coming back after the attack, plain and simple. He ain't one to beat 'roud the bush like some of the other captains." Renji took a drink of water from his canteen. "But we should be alright. We've been preparing for this for a long time now. Our guys are ready, just gotta put a little faith in 'em."

Ichigo nodded. "Seems Byakuya's known about this for sometime now."

"Chances are. He's one of the best we've got, so they're gonna tell him before they tell any of us."

"How's everything going with your company?"

"Well, we just got-" Renji was interrupted when a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the air. Everyone turned their heads towards the noise, shinigami beginning to grab weapons. "What the hell was that?" Renji pulled out his zanpactou.

"The hell if I know." Ichigo froze when he saw what the screaming was coming from. Headed straight towards them were hundreds of arrancar being led by Gin Ichimaru.


	7. The Will To Survive

**Yes, yes, I know my last chapter was not as good as my other ones, by I did better with this one. For those who are wondering what a triage is, it's a unit of the military that sorts out the wounded and dead after a battle. I'm not completely up to date with what's going on currently in _Bleach_, so if something I write is inaccurate, please state it in a review and I'll make the corrections ASAP. :) Thanks a bunch!**

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_CLANG!_

The two swords sent sparks into the air upon making contact. Ichigo growled as he tried to push the sword off of his own. Drops of sweat rolled down his face as he fought. The right arm of his uniform was already ripped from a previous blow, exposing bright red blood as it rolled down his arm and onto his wrist.

"Your doin' good, Kurosaki. Last time we fought, ya couldn't even dodge one of my attacks." Gin drawled as he jumped back from his opponent. "Ya lucky tha' one didn' slice ya neck."

"Can it, bastard!" Ichigo yelled as he ran towards Gin. He swung his sword, only for it to miss its target. He pulled his sword up again sliced through the air in a downward stroke. The sound of metal clashing against metal resounded throughout Ichigo's ears.

"Stop messin', Kurosaki. I'm sure ya can do better'n that. Or has all tha' time ya been spendin' with tha' Rukia girl turned ya soft?" Gin's sick voice filled his enemy's ears.

Ichigo's eyes filled with rage. "Don't you dare talk about her!"

"Aww, poor Kurosaki. I seemed to 'ave hit ya soft spot, huh?" Gin snickered sinister. "It's alright, kid. Once I'm through with ya, I'll make it a plan to kill 'er too."

Ichigo's eyes became filled with malice and hatred as well as rage. "If you ever go near Rukia again," Ichigo snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "I'LL RIP YOU APART!" His sword changed into its bankai form as he stabbed at Gin. His sword was nothing but a black blur as he relentlessly attacked his enemy, each blow stronger than the last.

"Better, kid. Now I don't 'ave to hold back any more." Gin slashed at Ichigo, his sword cutting through his shoulder. A spray of bright red blood was sent into the air, hitting Ichigo's face and uniform. He hissed in pain as the sharp sting spread throughout his body.

"Wow, Kurosaki. Ya must've gotten better, 'cause that should've taken your whole arm off." Gin flicked his sword, the blood flying onto the ground.

Ichigo tried to ignore the searing pain that his wound was causing him, but the stinging was to painful to overlook. He could feel the crimson liquid trickling out of his wound and covering his arm, staining his black uniform. He coughed, his vision blurring.

"Seems I went a little too hard on ya, Kurosaki. That one move almost wiped ya out." Gin advanced towards Ichigo, his sword poised.

"I'm not done yet!" Ichigo yelled as he ran at Gin.

"Looks at me like ya are." Gin's blade ripped through Ichigo's chest, sending blood and gore on all directions. His eyes widened as the pain fully registered in his head, but he was too surprised to scream. All he could see was the ocean of red that formed in front of him, and all he could hear was the rapid beating of his heart. He hit the dirt with a thud as Gin walked away, laughing.

Ichigo looked across the torn battlefield, his comrades lying around him, most dead, some wounded and dying. He was feeling that same pain he had felt when Rukia found him in the woods, feeling like your body is in fire. It was killing him just to breathe. He was about to pass out, when a familiar voice filled his ears. "Ichigo, wake up! C'mon, you gotta stay with me, open your eyes."

"R-Renji?" Ichigo rasped, seeing the face of his wounded friend.

"C'mon, Ichigo, you gotta stay awake. Just keep your eyes on me." Renji turned his head and shouted in the opposite direction, "Where the hell is that medic I called for?!" Ichigo noticed how badly Renji had been wounded. He had a long cut running down the side of his neck and onto his shoulder, where the blade had cut through the cloth of his uniform. His side had a large gash in it, blood pouring out of the wound.

"Just stay awake a little longer, Ichigo. I've got a medic coming, he's gonna take ya to triage." Renji propped Ichigo's head up, attempting to keep him awake. "Come on, just keep lookin' at me, you're gonna be alright. Ya can't fall asleep."

"Renji, you're…banged up pretty bad, too." Ichigo's vision was going in and out, fading to black then coming back.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Renji looked around the area. "Damnit, somebody get me that medic!" He screamed, at no one in particular. He placed a hand over Ichigo's chest wound, trying to stop the profuse bleeding. The red liquid quickly covered his hand and seeped through his fingers.

"I…can't see anything." Ichigo hacked up blood and vomit, the repulsive mess spilling over the front of his uniform. "I'm really cold."

"Just hang on, Ichigo. I'm gonna get ya through this. You still gotta see Rukia and that kid you two are expecting. Can't have you dying on 'em" Renji ripped the one of the sleeves of his uniform and wrapped it around Ichigo's shoulder wound. Ichigo groaned when his comrade tightened the makeshift bandage. The piece of cloth quickly became soaked with blood. "The medic's comin', Ichigo, he's right over there. Just hold on a little bit longer." Were the last words Ichigo heard before he blacked out.

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**Haha, a clifhanger! Now, does Ichigo kick the bucket, or does he bounce back? You'll have to wait and see! BUWAHAHA!! Now, I've got a question for all of ya. What gender should Ichigo and Rukia's baby be? I don't really know what to make it, so when you review, tell me what ya think. If you do, I'll give you a cookie!**


	8. A Promise Unbroken

**Well, It seems as though you all came through in the reviews! (Gives everyone who reviewed a cookie) Awright, now it's time to get down to business. Did I do the bad thing and kill poor lil' Ichigo off, or did I keep him in the game? If you're wondering which of the two I did, then read the next sentence.**

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The 13th company's triage was extremely loud, Ichigo had noted. Even though he had been in one of the deepest naps of his life, he could hear the hustle and bustle, which had woken him. He yawned as the events from a few days ago came flooding back into his brain. The ambush in Hueco Mundo, the battle with Gin, being wounded, Renji trying to keep him awake.

_Renji!_

Ichigo looked around the room, looking for his wounded comrade. His eyes fell on the still figure laying on the cot next to his. Renji's neck had a thick bandage wrapped around it, and his side had been wrapped in a bandage that had coppery colored stains on it. His chest rose and fell in a steady breathing pattern.

"Renji! Wake up!" Ichigo's voice was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to wake his friend up.

Renji groaned and rubbed his eyes, obviously sleepy. "Jeez, can't a guy get some sleep 'round here?"

"How you fleeing?" Ichigo asked hopefully, remembering the wounds he had received during the ambush. He had had a deep gash in his side, as well as a deep cut that had stretched the length of his neck and shoulder.

"Like I've been stabbed. How 'bout you?" Even though he wasn't grinning, Ichigo knew that Renji had meant it as a soft-hearted joke. He was the only one who could make a joke about any kind of situation. "You blacked out after I found ya. Gave me a bit of a scare. They had ya in the ER for so long, I almost thought they had carted ya off to the morgue."

"What happened after I blacked out?"

"More fighting. The casualties weren't as bad as we would've thought. We managed to push that ambush back, and got a few prisoners that were left behind. But anyways, I've got some good news."

"Anything'll sound like good news at this point." Ichigo sighed.

"We're gettin' sent back to Soul Society today by way of medvac. You'll probably get to see Rukia today if you send for her."

"This early? Almost everybody here's only been here for a day."

"We've still got wounded that the patrols are finding, and they haven't been treated. So you'd better prepare yourself, 'cause I've been in medvacs before, and it's a very bumpy ride."

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As Renji had said, the ride in the medvac ambulance was rough. The order in which wounded were taken back to the 4th company's hospital was determined by the severity of their wounds. Ichigo and Renji were sent back on the fifth medvac with about ten other shinigami. The wounded were piled into the medvacs on stretchers, which were placed on top of one another in a bunk-bed style fashion.

Ichigo had tried to sleep, but the constant shaking and bumping of the medvac ambulance had prevented him from getting any. Instead, he had listened to the other wounded shinigami talk amongst themselves. He and Renji had talked briefly about the Soul Society's next course of action against Aizen and the arrancar. A counter attack would be suicide, so the most reasonable plan that they had come up with was to pull out and wait.

When the medvac arrived at the 4th company's hospital barracks, the wounded shinigami were taken to a dressing station where their wounds were washed and wrapped with fresh bandages. After that, they were shipped off to their individual rooms for rest.

Ichigo's reflection on the trip back to Soul Society was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. He wondered who would be knocking on his door at one in the morning. He slowly got out of the bed, grabbed his crutches, and limped to the door. When he opened it, Rukia threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing into his shoulder.

Ichigo pulled her into a protective embrace, trying to calm her. He could feel her tears on the skin of his shoulder, making his bandages damp. "Shhh. It's alright, I'm here now. Shhh. It's okay." He whispered while rubbing her back. It pained him to see her cry. Every time she cried, it seemed, it was over him.

After a few moments, the crying subsided and Ichigo led Rukia to the bed where they sat down. Rukia still had her arms around him, not wanting to leave the warmth and protection he provided. Ichigo used his index finger to tilt her head so that she was looking at him. "There's no need to cry, Rukia. I'm alright."

Rukia blinked back tears. "B-but you almost died."

Ichigo briefly shook his head. "I promised you that I wouldn't die. And I don't plan on breaking that promise. Okay?"

Rukia silently nodded and tucked her head back under Ichigo's chin. She listened to the sound of his heart, faintly beating through the thick bandages. That sound was truly the only one that made her feel safe, that reassured her that he was still alive. She then remembered the news that she was supposed to have told Ichigo the moment she walked through the door. "Ichigo. I went to the doctor's today for my ultrasound. He told me the gender of the baby."

Ichigo's brown eyes soon became anxious. "What is it?"

"The doctor said that it was going to be a boy." Rukia replied, smiling.

A grin quickly formed on Ichigo's face, his eyes becoming filled with happiness and emotion. He was utterly speechless. He laid down on his bed, the wide grin still plastered on his face. "Oh, my God."

"Yeah, I guess that's one way of putting it." Rukia laughed as she laid down next to Ichigo.

Ichigo turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, her back against his firm chest. He buried his face in her soft hair, breathing in her scent. Rukia turned around, so that she was facing him, and snuggled into his chest. Her body enjoyed the feel of the warmth that his body emitted. She slept that night, for the first time since Ichigo had left, feeling content and safe.


	9. Back Home

**Well, this is gonna be my last chapter (maybe) for 2006. Yes, I know, I couldn't find it in my heart to kill Ichigo. I've got a soft spot for him. And his hollow, and Renji, but that's not what my story is about. In fact, I really don't know what my story is about. Would someone please enlighten me? **

**Y'all have a great New Year's Eve. I'm serious, because if you don't, I'm not going to update the story. Yeah, that got ya going.**

**My best wishes to all for 2007! **

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For the past month, all Ichigo could do was limp around his house in Karakura. The confinement had nearly driven him insane. But now, he was free to roam around the city without the use of crutches. He still had a little trouble getting around, but it was nothing that he would admit to anyone.

He and Renji, as well as many of the other wounded shinigami, had been sent back to the real world for recovery. Renji had called the whole recovery bit "a load of BS. All this is is an excuse for the higher ups to plan on other ways of killing us." But anyway anybody chose to look at it, the wounded were being sent to the real world.

This being Ichigo's second time being severely wounded in the past year, Rukia hardly ever let him out of the house, even though he insisted on continuing with his job at the hospital. He had tried many times to escape from his incarceration, each attempt being foiled by Rukia, who, despite Ichigo's injured state, would kick him upside the head.

On the rare occasion that he was allowed outside, Rukia always had to accompany him. She would follow him pretty much anywhere, which made Ichigo the target of Renji's latest wise-cracks. Several of which had something to do with "Soon enough, she'll be following you into the bathroom." Those didn't go over all that well with the two of them, which would earn him punch to the face from Ichigo and a swift kick to the balls from Rukia.

Just one week earlier, Renji had been called back to Soul Society to train the 6th company's new recruits, which had been graduated early in order to respond to the shortage of troops. This left Ichigo home by himself for most of the day, usually doing nothing but watching television. He had tried to play his guitar, but with the strings being so old, four of them had popped as soon as the pick hit them.

One day earlier, Ichigo had been allowed to return to work, earning many questions from his fellow doctors regarding is wounds and absence. He enjoyed getting back to the hospital, wanting to work off all of the extra pounds he had gained during his house arrest. He still had to walk the few blocks to the hospital, not yet regaining his right from Rukia to drive a car. The walks weren't his favorite part of the day, due to the fact that it was the beginning of February.

Ichigo laid sprawled on the couch with Rukia in is arms as he watched the TV. Their Friday night tradition, as it had been since his return after the Heuco Mundo incident, was to sit down at 11:00 PM and watch _Will & Grace_. Since his return to work, the evenings were really the only times that they had to spend together. Ichigo normally got the weekends off, but since he had missed so much work, he had to work the day shift on Saturdays and Sundays.

His sigh turned into a yawn, his eyes closing subconsciously. He hadn't realized how sleepy he was just then. He felt Rukia's hand softly rub the side of his face. "You sleepy?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, just a little. Had a busy day down at the hospital." He could feel his eyes beginning to close. He let his muscles relax, content with falling asleep on the couch. He watched the television screen, the light reflecting off of his eyes.

Rukia looked up at Ichigo. "I'm really glad that you're alright. You had me so scared when Renji called and told me what happened."

Ichigo looked down into her eyes. "I always bounce back, though." He gave her a cocky smile.

Rukia returned his smile. "You can be such an idiot sometimes. But that's one of the reasons I love you." She briefly kissed his lips before laying her head back on his chest. She had immediately gone to Soul Society after getting the call from Renji, not knowing what to expect.

Ichigo sighed deeply, tightening his embrace on Rukia. He was about to fall asleep, when Rukia looked up at him and broke the scilence. "Ichigo, what should we name our baby?" He hadn't really given it much thought, since the baby wasn't coming for another three months.

"You should decide." Ichigo said.

Rukia thought for a moment before replying. "Let's name him Takeshi. It means fierce warrior, just like his father." She kissed his forehead before snuggling into his shoulder, her soft breath drifting onto his neck.

Ichigo smiled, satisfied with the name. "Yeah. Takeshi Kurosaki."

Rukia curled up on top of Ichigo, absorbing the warmth that his body emitted. His chest wasn't the most comfortable thing to lay on, but it was preferable to anything else. Ichigo leaned forward to grab a blanket that was laying over the side of the couch and draped it over the both of them. He buried his face in her soft hair. "I love you, Rukia."

"I love you too, Ichigo." Rukia murmured against his neck.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**So, how'd you all like the name I picked out? Yes, Takeshi means fierce warrior. I spent, like, three hours looking it up. **


	10. Seasons Of Love

**HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE! Well, this is what y'all have been waiting for: The last chapter to _Forgiveness_! Now, just to give ya the 411, I've started working on another IchigoxRukia fic called _RENT_, the first chapter's already out. You all have been so great with your reviews, which is why I'm making the sequel. I'm gonna dish out a few disclaimers before we get down of business.**

**Song Used For This Chapter: Seasons Of Love**

**Artist: Cast Of _RENT_**

_**Bleach**_** is the property of Tite Kubo, and 'Seasons of Love', along with the musical, ****_RENT, _is the property of Jonathan Larson.**

**Consider this my New Year's present to you all!**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ichigo and Rukia stood next to the small baby crib, watching their son, Takeshi, sleep. Ichigo had a huge smile plastered on his face, his brown eyes shining with happiness. He wrapped his arms around Rukia's waist from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head. Even though the room was nearly pitch black, he could clearly see the baby laying peacefully. He and Rukia had both been surprised that the baby had fallen asleep so fast, this being his first night in the house.

The day was May 5th, the day Takeshi was born. Ichigo had clearly remembered rushing Rukia to the hospital, after her water had broke, at two in the morning. Everyone was there, Renji, Byakuya, Urahara, Orihime, Ishida, the whole gang. Ichigo had originally been in the delivery room with Rukia when she started having contractions. She had squeezed his hand so hard, he could have sworn that she had broken it. The fact that she had been screaming at him the whole time didn't help, either.

_**Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand  
Six Hundred Minutes.  
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand  
Moments so dear.  
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand  
Six Hundred Minutes.  
How Do You Measure, Measure A Year? **_

Ichigo had no clue how long it took for the baby to actually come, but it had seemed like forever. When the baby finally did come, it had been the happiest moment in his life. The baby hadn't cried all that much, which was a relief to everyone in the room. The doctors had washed off the baby relatively fast, then left Ichigo and Rukia alone in the room. Takeshi had both of his parent's features. He looked like Ichigo the most, right down to the facial expression. He did have Rukia's hair and eye color, however.

They had been allowed to take the baby home that day, with it being very healthy. Ichigo had been jumping around the house all day, ecstatic. It had taken Rukia a whole two hours to settle him down, but even then he was still too happy to sit still for long. Renji, Orihime, Ishida, and Byakuya had come over later that day to see the baby. Ichigo had been so happy, he had ambushed Renji with a hug the second he walked through the door.

Changing the baby's diaper had been another story all together. With Renji as his 'wing man', Ichigo had geared the both of them up with makeshift gas masks and a pair of tongs. Ever so carefully, he had undone each of the flaps on the diapers with the tongs, skillfully trying to avoid the brown present that awaited him and his friend. All was going well until the diaper was fully opened, an awful stench filling the nursery. He and Renji had ran out of the room, coughing and eyes watering, into the living room.

_**In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights.  
In cups of coffee.  
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.  
**_

Orihime and Rukia had been watching the whole display from the nursery doorway, laughing as the coughing men stampeded out of the intoxicated room, shouting "Good God, that stinks!" Renji had been coughing for fifteen solid minutes before he could stop. They both explained how they would need to burn their clothes, much to the amusement of everyone who was present.

_**In five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes.  
How do you measure  
A year in the life?**_

They day continued much like that, until everyone had left to return to their homes. The unusual quiet had been strange at first for Ichigo, but he had gotten used to it quickly. While Rukia was upstairs taking a shower, Ichigo had been left alone with the baby, watching television. He didn't really watch any TV, too preoccupied with the squirming baby in his arms. For a baby that was only a few hours old, Takeshi sure could move.

_**How about love?  
How about love?  
How about love? Measure in love.  
Seasons of love. Seasons of love.**_

Ichigo quickly found out that Takeshi enjoyed seeing Rukia kick him in the head, after releasing a wise crack in her direction. Ichigo had attempted to put the baby to sleep, but bouncing it on his knee only made it throw up all over his leg. He had handed Takeshi over to Rukia, on the verge of throwing up himself, and jogged up the stairs to change his pants. After changing into a pair of clean jeans, Ichigo returned to his former spot on the couch and suggested that they watched a movie.

They decided to watch _RENT_, and Ichigo walked across the room and placed the DVD into the player. Ichigo had pulled Rukia, who was holding Takeshi, into a strong embrace as soon as the move started. The living room was pitch black, except for the light being emitted from the television screen. The music seemed to help Takeshi go to sleep, because after fifteen minutes, he had fallen asleep.

_**Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes.  
Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Journeys to plan**_

When the movie had ended, Ichigo and Rukia had taken Takeshi upstairs. He had woken up as soon as the movie was over, so they had decided try and get him to sleep in their bed and put him in the crib as soon a he fell asleep again. They had gotten into the bed, with the baby laying across both of their laps. Ichigo had wrapped an arm around Rukia's shoulders and used his other hand to tickle the baby.

_**Five hundred twenty-five thousand  
Six hundred minutes.  
How do you measure the life  
Of a woman or a man?**_

The baby had fallen asleep shortly after that. Ichigo and Rukia had carefully carried him to the nursery and wrapped him in a baby blanket before laying him in the crib. He had rolled over onto his stomach before becoming motionless, sound asleep. Ichigo sighed, watching the baby that was asleep. He and Rukia had come so far in their time together, from when they first met, to the rescue from Soul Society, to the present.

"Isn't he beautiful, Ichigo?" Rukia turned to face him.

His smile widened as he nodded. "Yeah, he really is. Especially his eyes. He's got your eyes, ya know."

**_In truths that she learned,  
Or in times that he cried.  
In bridges he burned,  
Or the way that she died._**

Ichigo cupped her face with both of his hands and caught Rukia's lips in his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him back. He pulled back from the kiss and held her in a tight embrace. She laid her head on his chest, watching their baby sleep peacefully in the crib.

_**It's time now to sing out,  
Though the story never ends.  
Let's celebrate  
Remember a year in the life of friends.  
**_

"I love you so much, Ichigo." Rukia whispered into the fabric of his shirt.

Ichigo grinned, briefly tightening his hold on Rukia, and murmured into her hair. "I love you too, Rukia. More than you could know." His eyes traveled back to their baby, when he made vow to himself. He would continue to protect Rukia, as he had done all these years. He would protect his baby, Takeshi. He would protect everything that he loved, his friends, his family. He swore he would do so until the day he died.

_**Remember the love.  
Remember the love.  
Seasons of love!**_


End file.
